Chapter One - Neil
Neil finished doing the dishes while his best friend, Sean, talked to him on the phone. The speaker on his smartphone had an annoying high pitch.
He sighed and asked, “What were you saying?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to start working out?” Sean asked again.
“Oh yeah,” he remembered mentioning it to him earlier that. “Sometimes I think I'm too skinny. Other times it feels like too much of a bother. It’s not like I’m worried about getting fat or anything,” Neil said, going out on the balcony with his coffee and phone to have a smoke.
Sean laughed on the other end. “That’s for sure. You’ve got a hot, burning metabolism, man. Anyway, I was thinking, you know, I’ve been going to the gym more these days and I thought it would be a great opportunity for you too. My dad owns the Work It gym down on Fourth and Vine, remember? I could get you in as a guest. If you dig it you can get a reduced rate. I’m sure he would be cool with that.”
Neil took a drag of his smoke. “I know, you did tell me about your dad’s gym. I’m just not sure if I’m ready for that kind of commitment yet. It sure is a helluva lot of work,” he said, exhaling his smoke.
“It can be a pain in the ass at times. But I know you, man, and I know that once you get motivated, you go like gangbusters. I know you’d succeed at it and end up loving it. Trust me,” Sean said.
Neil wasn’t ready for the hard sell first thing in the morning. “I appreciate the confidence, dude, but you’re talking about schoolwork. The whole working out thing is a new concept. As much as it sounds appealing at the moment, I’m afraid I might give up mid-way and I don’t want to jump into it and then decide it isn’t for me. You know what I mean?”
He heard Sean sigh. “Well, think about it, okay?”
“You bet. We still on for dinner?” Neil asked, changing the subject.
“Sure, I’ve got some errands to run for my dad before that, but I’ll definitely see you then,” Sean said.
“Great, I’m gonna hang up now or I’ll be late for my class, okay?” They both hung up saying their goodbyes. Neil finished his smoke and went back inside to brush his teeth before class. His roommate was up and out early. Neil hardly ever saw him and he, being a private person, liked it that way. He left for his morning class barely making it on time.
Afterward, when the class ended, he checked his phone as he walked down the lobby and found a text from Sean that had a picture of his dad’s gym. Sean and a man he assumed was his dad, stood in front of the Work It sign with their thumbs up. Neil couldn’t help but smile. His best friend was not going to give up.
As he walked across the campus, he couldn’t stop looking at the picture and it was not just because he was still considering the idea of joining the gym. The man standing next to his friend had caught his interest.
Sean’s dad was a handsome man. The tank top that he wore over his gym shorts showed off his hard body. Neil never liked men who were too muscular—the kind who were huge in every aspect and scared the shit out of people by their mere sight. Sean’s dad was definitely not huge, but his biceps and triceps curved in the right amount. He had some pretty tattoos too. Interesting man. Neil had never met him, but he seemed like a good guy from what he’d heard from Sean. Damn good looking too, Neil thought, shutting his phone down before his next class.
He left abstract art, laughing with his classmates. As they parted he pulled out his phone and there was another text from Sean. Neil laughed looking at the picture. He was doing a wrestler pose, flexing his muscles in front of a bench press. Still chuckling, Neil scrolled through his other messages and went for lunch.
He met Sean for dinner at their favorite restaurant. It had a strange French name that he couldn’t even pronounce, but they served tasty food and that’s all that mattered. He ordered a burger and fries while Sean ordered a sandwich and a coffee.
“I saw the pictures you sent me.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“So, you really want me to join the gym, huh?” Neil asked grinning as they waited for their order.
Sean laughed. “I’m just trying to do my dear friend a solid favor, despite his best efforts to thwart it,” he replied, and they laughed together.
Neil decided what the hell. He could give it a try.
***
The next morning Neil waited out in front of his dorm, half awake. He was already doubting the whole workout regime he had let himself be talked into. He had been up half the night studying for his art history class and wasn’t ready to get intense over anything. But before he could change his mind, Sean’s Range Rover pulled up to his side. Yawning, he climbed in. As usual, Sean was energetic and ready to go.
“It’s ungodly how excited one can be at the crack of dawn,” Neil said rubbing his face.
“You’ll see. This is how to start your day right.”
“So is having another hour of sleep,” he said, grumpily.
The gym was on the other side of the town and the drive was just long enough that Neil considered going back to sleep right there in the car. Unfortunately, they pulled up before he could. He slung his bag over his shoulder as he got out and walked with Sean down the block and into the gym. On their way he saw only a few people around. It was a popular place and he knew the traffic would pick up throughout the day.
“Hey, Sean!” Neil heard a deep voice. He turned with Sean and saw the man in the photo coming towards them. He was even more impressive in person.
“Hey dad, it’s going great. This is Neil, I told you about him,” Sean said. The man smiled at Neil. It almost took his breath away.
Sean’s father had shaggy black hair and a goatee over his strong features. His green eyes sparkled kindly as they met Neil's and they shook hands. He had a strong grip and with his bulging pec muscles and biceps, at over six feet tall, he was an imposing figure. Although with his charming smile and gentle eyes, it failed to overpower.
“Good to meet you, Sir,” Neil said.
“You too Neil, you can call me Alec. I don’t rate a Sir,” he said with a smile. “So, you’re interested in joining us here at Work It?” he asked. Neil shrugged a little nervously.
“I thought it couldn’t hurt to check it out, see if it works for me,” he replied honestly. Alec nodded.
“Do you have any trainers open, dad? I thought it would be good to show Neil what’s available,” Sean said. Alec looked around the gym thoughtfully.
“Hmm, let’s see. Jane is with a client now and George is going to start a Pilates class soon. I guess I could take you on a tour and see what sort of program we could set you up with,” Alec said, glancing at his son and Neil. Sean seemed pleased with the idea.
“That’d be great, dad. What do you think, Neil?”
“Sure. I’m willing to see what’s what,” Neil said, and they both smiled at him. Alec could be a little distracting.
“Great, then I’ll leave you in his hands. I’ve several miles I wanted to run this morning. Have fun,” Sean said, and Alec slapped him on the shoulder. Sean went to the gym towards the treadmills set against the wall.
“Follow me, Neil and I’ll get you started,” Alec said, and Neil did as he was told. The man wore jogging shorts and a tank top, just the way he had in his picture. The clothes suited his durable frame in Neil's eyes.
They went to a back office, and Neil took his shirt off so Alec could check his body fat index. He was weighed and then answered questions about his health, any old injuries they should keep in mind and his diet. Once they were done, Alec tallied up some numbers from the tests and nodded with a smile. Neil put his shirt back on, feeling a little embarrassed by his skinny frame, especially standing next to Alec’s chiseled body.
“It should be easy enough. For this first day, let me show you the machines and how they work to your best advantage. You just want to bulk up some, right?” he asked, taking Neil's arm and leading him back out into the gym.
“Yeah. Sean will tell you, I can eat all day long and not gain anything. I just feel like I could stand to gain a few pounds,” he told the man.
Alec laughed and the sound was like music to Neil’s ears. “I was like that once and started my own gym career with the same goal. I’m forty now and I’ve still managed to keep myself fairly fit with judicious workouts,” he said.
Fairly fit? Neil smiled with amusement as he gave him a once over from head to toe. The guy was shaped like a Greek god! Fairly fit was an understatement.
Alec showed Neil several machines, and he had him try a few to get familiar with them, while also explaining the proper way to use them.
“Shoulders back, my man. We want to avoid injuries,” Alec said, placing both his hands on Neil's shoulders, pulling them gently back. The touch was enough to make his face red. Goosebumps formed, and Neil had no idea how to react. “There we go, that’ll work better. Here, let me add some weights and figure out where your starting point should be.”
He leaned over, in front of Neil, across his lap, to adjust the pins. His shoulder brushed against his thin chest making him shiver visibly. The man's smell was strong, musky and exhilarating to Neil, and he blushed even more as Alec straightened back up. Neil tried to keep his libido in check and focused on the information, trying to ignore his feelings.
By the time they finished going through the routine, Neil was glad to see Sean coming to join them because he felt confused.
“So, what do you think, dad?” Sean asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel. Neil smiled at his friend’s enthusiasm, and Alec chuckled.
“I think he’ll do fine, son. We came up with a good mix of workouts. Just remember Neil, carbs are your friend for a while. Protein and carbs will help build up those muscles,” Alec said, and Neil smiled at him, nodding. Soon, he left with Sean, waving Alec goodbye.
“You’re really going to give it a chance?” Sean asked as they got to his car. Neil chuckled. The possibilities of working out were exciting now that he’d experienced it first hand and was all in. He dismissed the feelings he had temporarily felt around Alec as a one-time thing.
“Sure. Might as well see where it goes. Thanks for inviting me. Alec was pretty persuasive,” he added.
“I figured he might be. He’s all about health and fitness. I think you’ll be glad you decided to give it a go,” Sean said with a nod.
They had their breakfast together before they went their separate ways to get ready for their classes. Neil’s day went by pretty quickly and without a single thought of Alec popping up in his mind. However, that night in his dreams, the physical reaction he had to Alec came back. Working out and getting sweaty with Alec had him pretty turned on and when he woke, his shorts were wet.